Village Of Lakemore Water and Sewer Billing Awareness

03/15/2025

This should be no surprise to any one, it seems quite clear that this administrations only plan to pay for the new debt is to pass it on to the residents.

A couple we should alll be asking the village.

1. Is this really a 97% increase in the minimum rate for water? If i am correct its going from $28 to $55

2. Does the village have any plan at all for bringing additional revenue or tax base to the village to pay for the almost 10mil in debt this administration has acquired, or is the only plan to continue to find way to get it out of the residents?

3 Specifically is the Village doing anything to ensure they are correctly measuring the amount of sewer we are pumping to Akron for the County and adjusting the bill correctly?

10/18/2024

Today, I submitted a public records request regarding the water and sewer department, pasted below. The administrator informed me that the request would be forwarded to the village attorney.

When I asked why, her response was simply: “Assistance with an extensive request”

This raises a few important questions:

Why would the most expensive resource—the village attorney—be engaged to provide information that should be readily accessible to the administrator, who is directly in charge of and runs this department?

Is this really about the complexity of the request, or is it more likely that the attorney is being consulted to verify the legality of the request and whether the village is obligated to provide the information?

Either way, I believe these are questions we should all be asking, especially since the visible indicators suggest a mismanaged and poorly run water and sewer department.

The administrator is directly responsible, so shouldn’t we expect more accountability and transparency?

Tracy Sayers Village Water and Sewer Department

Pursuant to the Ohio Public Records Act (Ohio Revised Code Section 149.43), I am requesting access to, and copies of, the following public records related to the operations of the village water and sewer departments. I kindly request that the data be broken out between commercial and residential services where applicable:

1. The total number of accounts currently served by the village for both water and sewer services.

2. The number of accounts billed using actual meter readings versus the number of accounts with estimated readings for the billing cycle dated September 26, 2024, for services from June 5, 2024, through August 27, 2024.

3. A list of all service addresses receiving free or reduced rates for water and/or sewer services.

4. The number of service addresses that are currently shut off for non-payment.

5. The number of service addresses with past due balances that were or are due prior to the 10/18/2024 4:30 PM deadline on their account.

6. The number of service addresses equipped with an electronic meter versus the number of service addresses that require a manual meter reading.

7. The number of accounts billed using actual readings versus the number of accounts billed using estimated readings in the billing cycle dated September 26, 2024 for services from June 5, 2024, through August 27, 2024.

8. The average gallons billed for accounts with actual meter readings versus the average gallons billed for accounts with estimated readings in the billing cycle dated September 26, 2024 for services from June 5, 2024, through August 27, 2024, for water service, which is used to calculate sewer billing.

I request that these records be provided in electronic format, if available. If there are any fees associated with fulfilling this request, please notify me in advance. If portions of the records are exempt from disclosure under the Ohio Public Records Act, I request that any exempt portions be redacted and that the non-exempt portions of the records be provided.

I appreciate your prompt attention to this request. Please feel free to contact me should this request require any clarification or further information.

Thank you in advance for your time and assistance.

10/18/2024

For over 7 months, I’ve raised concerns about the Village’s billing practices and whether they comply with the Lakemore-Summit County Sewer Agreement. Despite multiple requests for transparency, the Village has yet to provide clear proof that they aren’t violating this agreement.

If the current dispute over the Village's right to bill residents tied directly to the Summit County sewer system wasn’t a valid concern, and didn’t have some level of legitimacy, then why wouldn’t the Village be able to provide clear, indisputable proof that they are not in violation of the current Lakemore-Summit County sewer agreement? Even the mayor has admitted that the Village doesn’t fully understand or follow the agreement. Why is the county’s legal team working on this matter if the Village’s stance is correct? Why has it taken over 7 months since these questions were raised without action from the Village?

Last month, I formally disputed the sewer charges, and in response, the Village disconnected my water service—even though I paid the water portion of my bill. It has now been 31 days without water in my home, and the Village has still not provided a solution. My repeated requests to pay the disputed amount without being forced to "agree" to the charges have been ignored. Their ordinance automatically counts payment as agreeing to the charges, which doesn’t address billing discrepancies fairly.

After weeks of being ignored, I appeared before the Village Council to ask them to use the powers available to them under the law to intervene and help find a fair resolution. They said they would consult with their attorney and invited me to attend a workshop meeting the following week. At the workshop, I made sure the council fully understood the details of my situation, including the fact that I had been left without water for 20+ days due to the Village’s inaction, despite my repeated attempts to resolve the issue. I left feeling confident that progress would be made. However, it’s now been days since that workshop, and I’ve received no updates or action.

To be clear—I am not asking for the sewer fees to be waived. I’m simply asking for a way to pay the disputed amount without having to agree to those charges, so I can have my water service restored while the larger dispute is resolved.

At this point, the Village’s continued inaction speaks volumes. 31 days without water in my home is acceptable, to those who we elect to represent us, it sends a troubling message that residents are not a priority, and fairness and transparency are lacking.

This isn’t just about me—it’s about ensuring that we as residents are treated fairly when it comes to essential services. I will keep pushing for a fair solution, and I believe it’s important to share this so others are aware of how these matters are being handled.

Thank you to everyone who has shown support. I hope this issue is resolved soon, for the sake of all residents who might face similar challenges in the future

10/09/2024

Am I the only one who just now realized that after the village had to make one of the “toughest” and let’s be honest, “unavoidable” decisions , to raise the minimum sewer rates in July 2021—because the general fund was completely drained and “can no longer support paying Akron”—things didn’t stop there?

Nope! Just four months later, on November 15th, the village found itself in another pickle forcing them to pass an emergency resolution allowing them to skip the usual three readings, designed to inform the public and secure a $5.4 million loan.

That's right—the village is on the hook for $5,400,000.00 that is costing the tax paying residents $262,062 a year for the next 28 years to pay for the renovations for the police, fire, and administration buildings.

Maybe I have been under a rock and not paying attention, relying to much on the elected officials to make decisions in the best interest of residents.

Maybe I am misunderstanding this entire thing scenario and happy am to hear input from those with more factual information.

10/04/2024

Bullying vs. Professionalism: A Clear Choice by Village Administration

On September 20, I reached out to the mayor to schedule a discussion regarding ongoing issues. The next day, September 21, he responded, indicating he had spoken with the administrator on September 17. He mentioned that all information had been forwarded to the village attorney and provided his contact details, stating I would need to communicate with him.

I spoke with the attorney on September 26, where we discussed the village's stance on the sewer solution. We agreed to disagree, deciding to let the matter play out in court. I requested that the attorney and the village propose a solution for disputing the bill while maintaining services. The village’s current dispute resolution process indicates that paying a bill is considered an agreement, and if there’s a disagreement, they will shut off your water—even if the water and trash portion of the bill has been paid.

I suggested an acknowledgment of the dispute that would serve as a waiver to Ordinance 1145, potentially an agreement for an escrow payment, or any alternative the village might propose instead of considering my payment as an agreement. This suggestion comes in light of the village’s actions indicating that I would receive credit for the 201K gallons of water and sewer charges I overpaid, even trying to show where they provided the credit, but when proven wrong they are now citing 1145 as to why i wont be issued a credit previously agreed to.

On September 30, I followed up with the solicitor since there had been no communication from him or the village. At the time of this post, I have still received no response.

On October 3, I sent a text to the mayor, pleading for him to instill a sense of urgency within the village to establish a dispute process. I emphasized that I want to resolve this issue and pay what is necessary without the payment being considered me agreeing to disputed charges, or at the very least, receive an official statement indicating that the village has no interest in doing so. This message was read within two minutes and has now gone unanswered for over 24 hours.

The actions, or lack thereof, to date suggest a clear preference for silencing residents and forcing compliance when accountability arises, rather than doing the right thing and collaborating to resolve village issues. As I head into the weekend, I am now on day 17 without water services that are paid for.

Send a message to learn more

09/24/2024

This is a map of the portion of the summit county sewer system that flows into county pump 7 on lakeside drive. Pump 7 then lifts the waste to the village pump then pumps the sewer to Akron.

I have also attached "Lakemore Agreement 1982"

Sections 3 and 4 clearly define the billing to the county and the yearly monitoring to set the next year rates for the county which according to the Mayor and the Administrator village has not been done since 1982.

Section 6 Clearly defines who should be billing the customers.

I have attached the map that is attached to Lakemore Agreement 1982 as appendix A as well

09/23/2024

Hi, everyone!

I created this page to bring attention to some troubling issues I've experienced with Lakemore's sewer and water billing practices.

Here’s my story:

Since moving into my home on Lakeside Drive in March 2012, I’ve paid my water and sewer bills quarterly, assuming the amounts were accurate. However, after buying my home in 2021, I discovered that the village had been overbilling me for years due to estimated readings, resulting in overpayments for over 200,000 gallons of water and associated sewer charges. Despite the village admitting this error, I still have not received the promised credit.

To further exacerbate the issue, the village is now citing "Ordinance 1145-1991, Article IX, Section D," which states, "A bill that has been paid will be considered accepted by the owner. Any complaints of this nature should be made...prior to the eighteenth of the month the bill is issued," and is denying the credit.

Im curious how many other residents would see the same discrepancy if they are getting estimated bills and called to see what the village has documented as their reading compared to their actual reading on your meter.

This led me to further research, and I discovered that my home, along with several others in the village, is connected directly to the Summit County Sewer System.

This is clearly outlined in a document provided too me by the village titled the "Lakemore 1982 Agreement," which includes a map and specifies who is considered a county customer versus a Lakemore customer. The village has been knowingly billing individuals that they have no right to charge.

Since March of this year, I’ve been working diligently to resolve this issue with the village. However, I’ve encountered uncooperative responses and even misinformation from both the village and the administrator.

Referring to the aforementioned ordinance cited by the administrator, I ensured that the water and trash portions of my bill were current and provided a formal request to the village to stop billing me for services they should not be charging for, which resulted in them shutting off my water that afternoon, and referred to the Village attorney for communication after that.

If you familiarize yourself with the 1982 agreement, which I have been told by the village is the last known legislation regarding the definition of who is on county sewer versus Lakemore sewer, it outlines exactly how the village should be billing the county for the sewer they are sending to the city of Akron, which comes from the county sewer system.

It also specifies how they are required to monitor the flow from the county once a year and adjust the bill accordingly. What you won’t find in the agreement, as I learned in a meeting with the Mayor, Administrator, Solicitor, and a council member, is that the village has not measured the flow as outlined, nor have they changed the rate at which they are billing the county since 1982.

According to the Mayor, "the county is hard to deal with, and they won’t pay, so we have to charge somebody."
According to the Administrator, "measuring the flow requires flow meters, and they are expensive."

Maybe its a just a coincidence that legislation was read and passed in the September 3rd Council meeting, after these things were brought to light in the meeting on August 23rd.

As stated in my letter to the village:

"While I understand that the current administration cannot be held responsible for the thought processes used and decisions made by previous administrations, it is reasonable to expect that due diligence would have been exercised in the process of establishing new sewer rates via Ordinance 1719-2021.

Specifically, given the overwhelming task of trying to sort out and find a solution for the village’s sewer problems inherited by this administration, I would have hoped for a thorough review of the financial and legislative landscape surrounding sewer services, including cost structures, revenues, and legal obligations. This should ensure that things are happening as they should be, rather than just operating under 'this is the way it’s always been done' before imposing these rates."

This page is for anyone who has experienced similar billing issues or who has questions about how the village manages sewer and water services. My goal is to gather more information, share updates, and work together to hold the village accountable for fair billing practices.

Please feel free to share your stories, ask questions, and join the conversation. Together, we can ensure we’re treated fairly by the village. Your input and experiences matter!